David Beckham was knighted after years of failure, but even knights can be forgetful. This was made clear after the Manchester United icon once lost his wallet and was almost held for ransom as a result.
Beckham, 50, and his wife Victoria attended Windsor Castle on Tuesday after the former footballer was awarded one of Britain’s highest honors. The England legend has finally been knighted for his services to football and charity, after pursuing the honor for more than a decade.
Many would argue that this assessment is well-deserved given the influence Beckham has wielded on behalf of Britain over the past 25 years. Nevertheless, Vex once found himself having to provide a reward of his own just to get his wallet back.
Basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal once discovered Beckham’s wallet and couldn’t resist pranking the football star. But it was perfectly casual, considering the two have been friends since Beckham’s time with the LA Galaxy.
Lakers legend Shaq previously joked that he considered keeping the cash he found, but had second thoughts when he found out who owned the wallet. One of the NBA’s most famous figures isn’t short on a bob or two.
“I was walking around Beverly Hills one day and I found a wallet,” O’Neal revealed on The Late Late Show with James Corden. “Usually when I find a wallet, I take all the money out and throw it away, but this was a nice wallet.”
After discovering Beckham’s ID, he jokingly demands a large sum back and they decide to have some fun together.
“At first I was joking,” the American admitted. “I said, ‘I have your wallet, and it’s going to cost a million dollars to get it back.'”
“But he knew it was me. (Beckham said), ‘Shaq, stop playing.’ I was like, ‘Dave, I found your wallet.’ The funny thing is, he said, ‘There’s money in this wallet. You know what happened?'” And I was like, ‘No.’ ”
Shaq, who retired in 2012, is considered one of the all-time greats in basketball. An impressive center, he won four NBA championships. He won three of those championships with the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant and one with the Miami Heat.
He won the NBA MVP title in 2000 and appeared in 15 All-Star Games during an illustrious career representing the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics.
Beckham has represented elite clubs such as United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and PSG, before making his debut in the league in 2013, following O’Neill in 2013. He also won 115 caps for England, serving as captain for six years.
Despite currently living in the UK with his wife Victoria, Beckham’s ownership role at MLS club Inter Miami means he is a regular transatlantic traveler.
